Gas-producing apparatus



June 29 1926. L5927.

E. L. BROOME GAS PRODUCING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 17, 1921 Y 3 sheets-sheet 1 June 29 ,1926.

E. L. BROOME GAS PRODUCING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 17 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 29 1926.

E. L.. BROOME `GAs PRODUCING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 17

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 730677,50?? 92m1- 45mm 2223i'.

Patented June 29, 1926.

ERNEST. L,- eRQ-Olvla 0,1? 'Mamme NEW Y'is naar@ `110. GENERAL www T1011- Ges. s air-secar@ @alert al. Ni @cinnamon ori DELAWAFE ses-.raceteam APPARATUS.

application filed January 17, 1921, Serial No. 437,667.

Fig. l is a central, longitudinal section of a gas generat'orembodying 'my invention;` Fig.`2 isla sectionon lines yII-II of Fig. 1A, but with the extractoirotated through 270? from 'the position rshown lin 1'; Fig. 3 is a sectionisimilarmto Fig. 2, but with the cylinder rotated through approximately 240.9 frornthe position of' Figi 2; Fig.' 4 shows a rearelevation ofthe ash andclinkerezr-l tractor; Fig. kv5 is ai sidey elevation thereof partly in'section'; and Figli is afron't elevation, partlyin section, showing the manner of discharging clinlers, ash, or collie 'from the extractor. mM'y' "invention relates to gas generators, and particularly to a machine designed for use with lowf'grade or otherwise waste fuel, such asv washery silt, bone coal, slack, coke breeze, sawdust, tan'bark,` peat, or" lignite. My improvedmachine may be employed either' to generate'producer or water gas or aimixture'of both, or to oXidiZe or reduce material, "or to devolatilizeifuel for making br'idu'ettesf l' lily invention contemplates using my machine in such manner that the machine is only partially filled with fuel, sufficient space between vthefuel and the inside surface of the upper part of the liningof the cylinder beingmaintained, to permit the fuel to turn over freely ,asl the cylinder revolves, thus causing a vconstant shifting ofthe fuel body andthe bringing of new fuel constantly into thearea of'activation.

` Myinvention further consists in a novel means and method of removing ash, coke and'clinkers fromthe`cylinder,"and in the various features which I shall hereinafter describe and claim.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown my improved generator with its axis arrangedat such :an angle of inclination that in all 'cases it is onlypartially filled. In the generator 2 is a metal shell'or casing, adapted to be rotated by any well-known means, which hasa refractory lining 3. At the end ofthe casing through which the fuel is admitted thecylinder has a relatively large opening 4, and in this opening is arranged a screw conveyer 5., by which" the material is admitted into/the vessel. VThis screw conveyer is mounted 'in a ystationary hood 6 ofgreater diameter than the end of the casingi The -hoodhas an open side y7 into which the feed end of the cylinder extends for some distance, so" as toy 'permit the location of the iiexible' joint 8V as far as possible away from the open end of the Vessel, 'thereby keeping it asco/ol' as possible and minimizing? the deposition of fine fuel' and dust inthe joint. The Jopening i is 'made as small as ithe`volume of the ofgoing gasL will 'permit,`with"the object of forming a dam' and preventing the back-spill of fuel into the hood 6, and at the' same time allowing as high a surface and consequent depth :of fuel as practicable; The hood on its .under' side has ral pocket 9, preferably equipped with a vslide or valveulO.I This pocket isemployed forthe purpose of ascertaining whether the feed of the-fuel is too fasti, since if'too inuch fuel is fed into the cylinder it will backlspill out' of the opening Il and will drop down into the ,2 I V & '"ys .ll

The vessel at its discharge end has a central aperture l1 through'which astationary tuyre 12 projects into the interiorofithe vessel. I prefer to make the'tuyre 12 out of two pipes of different diameters,A welded together at their inner endsfso that a 'water cooling channel 13 may be'piovided inthe space'between the pipes. The inner en`d14 of the tuyre is preferably bent downwardly so a`s'to direct air or other activating agent downwardly int'ofthe depths' bf the fuel bed and at thesameitime act as a means' to stir and agitatethe fuel as the cylinder revlvesl I` have found it desirable that the tuyre l2 shall extend away fromthe lining, so' as to prevent 4such clinker as is formed from adhering to the lining, and also to pref vent the activating agent from escaping uncombined along the surface of the lining.

UTO save weight and head room, I prefer to construct my cylinder with a relatively small diameter near the feed end, as suc end normally serves the purpose of acting as a conveyer, dryer, andprogressive' heater, which IVA have designated'` as "the portion A.

I have found it desirable te so construct theV cylinder that at nthe point which contains the zone Vof greatest teinperature` the cylinder will be approximately two to two and` a half times thediameter at `the feed'end, and I barge designated this portion of the lcylinder as I have found it desirable, in order to ehehe-r1" th Path' 0f th afgang' gaas through the fuel (which not only serves to give better heating efliciencies and fixes the volatilegases, but also results in a greaterV reduction to CO when producer gas is being lmanufactured), to'eniploy a baffle 15 in the section between the zone of most intense heat B and the drying and preliminary heating Zone A. The baffle has an opening .16 of suciently less diameter tlianthe, diameter,VV

of the cylinder so that the top of this opening-16 is always normally below the tgp sur`- face of the fuel, so as to require the o lgoing gases to pass under the surface of the fuel on their way out of thwe cylinder.

Arranged about the periphery of the cylinderare the Yash and clinker extractors 17, of which for the purpose of illustration I have shown but one, although as many as desired maybeemployed.v The extractor consists in three elements: one element 18 of lwhich i opens directly into the cylinder on a radius thereof; the second'element 19 is arranged substantially parallel with the axis of the cylinder, andv at right anglesnto the first element; and a third elementy 20 attached to the-second element and substantially at right angles to both the first and second elements. The open end of the element 20 isclosedby a hinged Vcover 21 arranged to be opened by the action of the latch 22 engaging the stationary-trip or stop 23. The cover is closed and lheld shut by the spring 24 kafter the y latch-22 isdisengaged fromthe trip 23. The

end wall of thecylinder is Vprovided with detachable doors 25 through which access to l the interior of the machine may be obtained.

In the operation of my improved machine,

in lbeginning'operations a fire may be kindled ini the portion B by fuel inserted through a door 25. Then, when thel compartment B f hasbeen ysufficiently heated to cause icoinl bustion, fuel is fed in through the conveyor 5 and is advanced by the rotation of the vessel toward its lower and larger end, building up in the portion A a fuel bed to a considerable depth against the baille 15 A and working through the baflie into the lower end B, where, by reason of the formation of the cylinder, the fuel bed is still deeper. It is desirable to keep the fuel bed at such a depth that the gas in passing through the opening so that the material will become progress sively hotter as it approaches the chamber Bandas itfenter's the 'chamber B it will be ata temperature andl when brought into intimate contact with an activating agent such as air, steam or gas, which is delivered through the tuyre 12 into the .chamber B in sufficient quantities to produce combustion,

the carbon in the fuel will combine chemically with the Yeleirientsin the activating agent to form H2, CO, or CO2 either separately or in various proportions, or toheat the contents of the vessel. As it is desirable to expose the fuel to the activating agent asy completely as possible this is accomplished by the deep fuel bed through` which the activating agent must pass and by cansino'` the gas to travel underneath the surface of the fuel by means of the baffle A15. v

During the gasification of the fuel as the carbon' becomes Vexhausted the remaining ash approaches a plastic state,rand its particles have a tendency to 'adhere together, Y

withthe result that these particles doadhere together and, as the charge is rolled over and over by the rotating movement of Y the retort, they assume the form of balls 26. These clinker balls 26 accumulate around the periphery of the cylinder and, in consequence, are constantly being exposed upon the surface ofthe fuel as the cylinder rol tates. As these` vclinker balls become `exposed at the top of the slope which the surV` face of the material assumesbecause of the rotationV of the vessel as .is shownin Fig. 2, these balls roll rapidly down to the toe of the slope, where they are constantly apccumulating, s o that there is always an accumulation of loose clinker balls of varying sizes at the .toe ofthe slope, which, because of the longitudinal inclination of the vessel,

is the lowest point of the surfaceof thematerial. i The.ash'and.clinkerextractor,17 is located at this low point, so that with each revolution down to this low point, a portion of the clinkers will roll down the slope of .the

material intotlie rstelement 18 of the exs tractor, as is shown inlli`i,g ;.2.y The sec-4 ondfelement 19 of theextractor has a sufficient inclination so that the balls will feed slowly down this incline when they have4 entered yfrom Ythe first element, and will pass out into and through the third element 2O when the gate or coverr21 is opened by the trip 23. When the extractor risesabove the surface of the fuel, as it revolves up-f wardly with the cylindertlie clinker and other material in the first element 18 will roll out of the extractor and down the slope as is shown in Fig.` 3, but the material` which has already worked into the second and third elements will remain there until pushed outward by succeeding material rolling into the first element.` As is shown in Fig. 6,*the angle of repose of the material,

inthe third element controls or limitsthe amo-untA of material discharged.

The clinker extractor has also a selective action, since as the vessel rotates the clinker balls because Yof their greater siZe Lasciare and weight willi-roll.r diown the slope the material more: rapidly than; the smaller particlesy of they materia-la and' will' rolt into' the rst element 18:- ofI the extractor before such smaller particles.` Their as. the rotation continues the sina-leler particles will' follow the clinker balls into the element 18;, Not all of the material which thus fills the element f8: works inta` the secondi element. 19 on each. rotation,l but that part of it, comprised. mainly of finer particles; which is nearest the entrance into". the" el'ement 118% falls-back into the interiori oli the vessel the element'. is again` rotated. aroundA the upper ltalf off the. circumference of; the ves;- selt.

The various; gaseousi products, evolved'. by the. treatment just. described?. are led: onli through the glas outlet 2bn` IV have found'. that my improved'. proess and apparatus are of p"artcular.4 adwantagle with finely divided fuels, which, by the free andi constant movement of the fuel bed, Will have suflicient porosity for devolatilization or gasification.I p

The gradual heat increment to which the fuel is subjected permits the recovery of the lighter volatiles such as ammonia, as well as the heavier oils and tars, each of which will escape with the offgoing gas at its proper temperature and may be recovered outside the generator by fractional condensation or distillation. v

My improved apparatus may be employed for the generation of gas from carbonaceous materials, for the volatilization and recovery of by-products from solid material containing volatile products, or for the production of coke from which briquettes can be manufactured.

I have found that very etlicient results can be obtained by preventing the fuel from accumulating at too high a level in the cylinder. By keeping the top surface of the fuel at a distance below the lining in the upper part of the cylinder in the activation zone which is accomplished by having the long axis of the generator at a not too great deviation from the horizontal, the fuel is permitted to stir itself freely by constantly being turned over, a condition, which would not obtain if the cylinder was filled full to its upper side.

The terms rand expressions which I have employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and I have no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalents ofthe features shown and described, or portions thereof, but recognize that various modifications are possible Within the scope of the invention claimed.

What I claim is:

l. Gas producing apparatus comprising a vessel mounted for rotation on a substantially; horizontal axis havingan intakev foriv theE materialv to be gasrfied, a'` glasv outlet,l a

@linker discharging means opening tlniougl-r4 the periphery of the vessel: and extending outwardly therefrom, rotatable therewith and.: operable*byl the rotation off the vessel, whereby cliinke'rs are discharged from tlie freesurfiace of the materialthrough sai/l cl'inker discharge to the exterior of the vessel, andi a tuyere projecting through an end of. the. vessel.- f

@eas producing apparatus comprising rotary vess'eli having an.int'ake:fo1r the neo-ate-v rial to be gasified, a gas outlet, andx gravity? operated clinker discharge mean-s opening tlaroughf the periphery of the vessel forming al passage; from theI interior of the: vesselv toy the'exiierior tliiereof, whereby cli-nker' from the free surface ofi the material ifs discharged' from within@ the vessel. by the action of gravity, the .intake of said means being rendered?. inoperative by the action' of gravity during ai portion of eaclr revolution of the vessel Aduring which the said means is above the horizontal axis of the vessel.

3. Gas producing apparatus comprising a rotary vessel having an intake for the material to be gasified, a gas outlet, and a clinker offtake, said offtake being located on the periphery of the vessel and rotatable therewith, said ofl'take formed of elements, one extending through the shell of the vessel and exteriorly thereof, the element extending through the shell arranged to he filled and emptied with each rotation of the vessel, and other elements of the offtake kconnected with the first named element outside the vessel whereby the material is discharged exteriorly of the vessel.

4. Gas producing apparatus comprising a rotary vessel having an intake for the material to be gasified, a gas outlet, a discharge outlet at the opposite end arranged on the periphery of the vessel and rotatable therewith, said discharge outlet having one portion arranged on a radius of the vessel, and having an extended portion outside the exterior of the vessel arranged at an angle to said radial portion to permit the waste material to remain in a portion of said discharge outlet regardless of the position of the cylinder and the outlet.

5. Gas producing apparatus comprising a rotary Vessel having an intake and an offtake for the material, a gas outlet, the offtake being rotatable with and located on the circumference of the vessel and extending take being located on theV periphery of the vessel-androtatable therewith and having a receiving portion extending from the interior to the exterior of the vessel, afurther portion of the oftake connected to the receiving portion, the receiving portion being arranged to receive :clinker balls from the free surface of the material in the vessel andv pass such balls into the farther portion ofthe oftake for discharge Without the vessel, the receiving element being also arranged to return within the vessel the material remaining init on further rotation of the vessel.

7L Gas producing apparatus comprising a vessel mounted for rotation on a horizontally extending axis having an intake-for the material to beA gasified, a gas outlet, the opposite end being in theforln of a gastight end wall forming ay component part of the body of the vessel, the said end vwall being` uninterrupted except for a tuyre for an activating agent, a preheating Zone near the intake ma an mim-ating Zone; hearth@ said end wall, and an outlet for waste mate-- rial ata point in the circumferential `wall in Y the activating zone of the vessel and extending outwardly therefrom, the said outlet be.

ing capableof receiving waste material dur-` i ing a portion onlygof each rotatiolrof the vessel. .Y l

8E Gas producing 'apparatus comprising a vessel mounted'for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis having an intake for the material to be'gasified, a gas outlet, and an offta-ke for the waste material ysecured to and projecting' outwardly through theV Y shell of the vessel and rotatable therewith, the said offtake comprising a number of connected portions arranged end to end and l ERNEST L. BnooMn 

